WW Grainger January sales up 17%

MiaLamar

W.W. Grainger Inc.'s
GWW, -1.07%
sales jumped 17% in January from a year earlier with help from acquisitions and stronger volume.

The supplier of industrial goods ranging from lighting to janitorial products has posted strong results recently it attracts businesses and institutions looking to consolidate suppliers and reduce on-hand inventory.

Excluding acquisitions, sales were up 12% from a year earlier, including 12 percentage points from volume and 2 percentage points from price, partially offset by a 1 percentage point decline from both foreign exchange and lower sales of seasonal products.

U.S. sales, which make up the bulk of the company's top line, rose 11% from a year earlier, while sales from Canada were up 17%. So-called other businesses, which include the recently acquired Fabory Group, saw sales more than double from a year earlier.

W.W. Grainger is often considered a bellwether of the U.S. economy due to the wide swath of its offerings. The company last month reported its fourth-quarter earnings rose 12% on better-than-expected sales and improved margins.

Shares closed Friday at $200.16 and were inactive premarket. The stock is up 6.9% since the start of the year.

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